Unexpected
by occasionalreader
Summary: After the Crispin Crandall Case, Red decides Liz, Dembe and himself could use a bit of a break. So he takes them to one of his favorite places for some rest and relaxation.
1. Chapter 1

Unexpected

The inside of the jet was silent, but filled with a feeling of accomplishment as Red ended his call with the Director. Lizzy was still asleep on the small couch and Red envied her ability to sleep peacefully at all. They had been in near constant motion for weeks now and it was starting to take a toll on them both. Red didn't want to admit it, but he was tired. Even though he had spent the last two decades on the run, it had been awhile since he had been this high profile and having Lizzy with him simply increased their chance of getting noticed. Of course, there was no way he was going to let her out of his sight and since they were successful in retirieving the Director's hidden goods, a mini vaction wouldn't hurt and Red could get the rest he needed. Decision made Red got up to inform Edward and Dembe of their new destination.

Red gently shook Lizzy awake as they were getting ready to land. She looked at Red then her watch, "I know we can't be in New York already. Did something happen? What's going on?" Red chuckled and gave her his trademark smirk. "Nothing is wrong Lizzy. I have decided we could use a short break and since we were close I thought I might show you one of my favorite places to stay." Liz couldn't agree more that she could use a break, but she was a profiler and she knew Red had been going non-stop since she was accused of killing the Senator. Out of the two of them Red needed the break most of all.

The jet landed smoothly at a non-descript airstrip and another of Red's infinite number of vechiles was waiting for them. The vechile of choice this time was a black, extended cab 4x4 truck outfitted for a just about any outdoor conditions. Liz looked around as they exited the jet aside from the truck and the jet there was nothing, but trees lining either side of the runway. She had no idea where they were, but she had come to trust Red so she followed him into the backseat of the truck. Dembe was already in the drivers seat having exited the plane first. As Dembe steered the truck onto a gravel path Liz could no longer contain her curiosity, "Where are we?" Red who had been starring out the front window turned to her. "We are in the state home to the Space Needle." Liz cocked her head to the side a trait she seemed to be picking up from Red. "Washington. Your favorite place to stay is in Washington?"

Red smiled, "It's not so much the location as the company." Liz let out an exasperated sigh. She thought after two years she would be used to his egnimatic responses, that was not the case. "Could you be anymore cryptic Red? Who are we meeting?" Red chuckled he couldn't help it, agitating Lizzy was something he enjoyed doing, especially if he knew she wouldn't get to angry with him. "It's a surprise Lizzy. We have about an hours drive, relax and enjoy the scenery it's quite pleasant." Lizzy gave him an annoyed look and a muttered 'fine' before turning to observe the landscape outside her window.

The hour drive passed by without any incident. Dembe drove them down the gravel path to the interstate only to get off three exits down and turn them onto an almost completely hidden, yet obviously used dirt road. They continued down this road surrounded by trees for the rest of their travel. As Dembe rounded the last turn in the road, Liz found herself starring at what could only be described as a mansion desguised as a cabin in the woods. The cabin was two stories complete with a wrap around porch and balcony. It was obviously occupied, if the jeep and pick-up truck in the front circular drive way was anything to go by.

Liz turned towards Red, "I see why this is one of your favorite places to stay, it's beautiful." Red nodded his agreement and prompted her to exit the truck when Dembe opened her door. Red led Lizzy to the door with Dembe following. Liz expected him to knock, but Red surprised her when he pulled out a key and let them inside. Liz was stunned as she entered the cabin it was amazing, stone fireplace, sectional couch and an enormous flat screen television occupied the open living room. Also, with the open floor plan she could see an equally enourmous kitchen that had been well used judging by the stack of used dishes in the sink.

Liz looked to Red only to notice the concerned look he was giving Dembe. "What's wrong?" Red looked at the living room then to the kitchen, "I thought for sure..." He stopped mid sentence when they heard a door bang open from somewhere behind the living room wall, followed by voices. "I told you that the line wasn't on there right, but nooo you know everything." There was a pause and another voice answered, "Fine. You were right. You happy. You Were Right. Mark this day on your damn calendar and shut up about already." Liz could hear the owner of the first voice laughing and looked to Red for guidance.

Red had been concerned when they first entered the house to find it empty, but as the voices drifting in from the rear of the house he couldn't contain his cheerful grin. He squeezed Lizzy's shoulder as he breezed by her and met the owners of the voices as they rounded the corner into the living room. "Hello boys!" The 'boys' looked shocked at first before breaking into matching grins and simultaniously pulling Red into a group hug. Liz looked on trying to determine who the two men were. They were both about an inch taller than Red with almost identical facial features so it was a safe bet to assume they were twins and looked to be in their early twenties. It was their eyes that gave it away, as Dembe came forward to greet the 'boys'. Liz realized she had scene those green eyes many times. The 'boys' had Red's eyes.

Red hugged the two young men tightly before kissing them each on the cheek and releasing them. They smiled at Red as they made there way to Dembe and gave him the same treatment. As the 'boys' embraced Dembe, Red made his way to Lizzy's side. She gave him a knowing smile as the 'boys' walked with Dembe towards Lizzy. They stopped in front of her and she couldn't help, but note the similarities between them and Red. They shared eye color, the same shaped face and shoulders, but the boys had dark brown hair and were both lean and muscular.

Red watched as Liz observed his boys briefly before offering an introduction. "Elizabeth Keen I'd like you to meet Robert and Raymond Junior, my sons." he gestured to each as he said their name. Lizzy smiled and extended her hand to Robert, he looked at her hand then to her face and laughed before pulling her into a bear hug saying. "Really you want to shake my hand, you might not know us that well yet, but your family we don't shake hands." Lizzy returned the hug and chuckled as Robert released her only for Raymond Junior to grab her into a hug. As she was released she looked at Red, "You have sons and that is not in any of your files. How did you manage to keep that a secret all these years?" Red laughed, "It wasn't easy. You enjoy the boys company while Dembe and I cook dinner since these two apparently forgot everything I've taught them about fishing, we'll have to be creative with dinner."

The look the twins shot Red's way made them look even more like their father and Liz laughed gaining their attention. "By the way I prefer to be called RJ and my brother goes by Robbie. Our full names only get used for introductions and if we are in trouble." Liz made a mental note of their nicknames as she followed them to the couch and told them to call her Liz. The trio took their seats and Liz took another moment to observe Red's children before letting her curiosity take over. "Okay I'm guessing you're the oldest Robbie?" The twin in question laughed loudly, while his brother grimaced. "Well Liz, Dad was right you really are one of the best profilers. The few people who were introduced to our real names assume because RJ is named after Dad that he is the elder, but I beat him by five minutes." RJ gave his brother a scathing yet playful look before lashing out quickly and smacking his brother in the back of the head.

Liz jumped back at the impact of RJ's hand on his brother, but Robbie wasted no time and the two were soon engaged in a UFC style grappling match on the living room floor. Liz looked on in equal parts shock and amusement. She knew they were just rough housing as siblings, especially twins, were known to do. However, the commotion attracted the attention of the eldest Reddington who marched into the living room with a grimace of disappointment and a dish towel thrown over his shoulder. "ROBERT! RAYMOND!" Red barked at the boys, "I said to get to know Lizzy, not act like your five year olds with no manners." For their part, the twins halted their actions at the sound of Red's voice, which left RJ in a headlock and Robbie's legs twisted up in RJ's. They smiled sheepishly at Liz before disentangling themselves and going back to their seats on the was still giving the twins a parent death glare, so they quickly apologized to Liz for their outburst. Red nodded at them and told them dinner would be ready soon and that they could set the table.

As the group of five sat down to eat Liz could not get over how domestic the whole situation turned out to be. Dembe and Red had prepared a simple yet delicious meal of spaghetti and meat sauce, along with a light salad. They had wine to drink and the conversation flowed smoothly. Liz soon realized the twins were as apt at story telling as their father. She was sure her face was bright red as she laughed at the stories of Robbie and RJ growing up and giving Red a run for his money.

One story in particular involved RJ leaping into shark populated waters off the coast of Austrailia on his eighth birthday because the day before Red had told him he could swim with the sharks when he was older. In his eight year old brain, that next day being his birthday obviously made him old enough. Red assured Liz it was at this point that his hair really started to recede. Liz noticed that RJ seemed to be the more adventurous twin, but Robbie was definitly the sneakier one. Apparently, Robbie preferred to make his father's hair fall out by showing up in places he shoudn't be, mainly one of Red's arms deals with a drug cartel in Columbia. Robbie somehow snuck onto Red's jet without his knowledge and then commandeered his own vechile to follow Red to the meet, all of this at the age of twelve. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened. Red said he damn near had a heart attck when he walked out the hangar to find one of his boys sitting in the back of his car waiting for him.

Dinner flew by and Liz enjoyed the company of the Reddingtons' and Dembe well into the evening until she couldn't stop the yawn escaping her mouth. Red ever observant suggested that they call it a night. Red knew his boys' would be staying up especially since their Uncle Dembe was their and a rematch had already been discussed over dinner for Call of Duty on the Xbox One. Red didn't really understand the obsession his sons' had with video games, but he would not deny them their fun with their uncle. Red and Liz bid them goodnight and he led Liz to the upper floor. As they hit the top of the stairs Red pointed at doors letting her know where everyone could be located. The door to the right as they reached the top landing was Robbie's room. They took the left which lead down a hallway. The first door to her right was the bathroom, across from that was RJ's room, which left the last two doors one on the right and one to the left. Red said she could have the one to the left and explained that the two rooms were both master bedrooms complete with a full bath. Red walked her to the door, ever the gentleman. As she entered her room he bid her goodnight and entered his own door across the hall.

Liz gaped at the room she was in, there was a king sized bed, a sofa, recliner and a flat screen television all in her bedroom. The bathroom was equally amazing a huge garden tub took up one corner, a separate shower and large vanity took up most of the other side. Liz decided a long soak in the huge tub would be nice since she didn't get that luxuory often with her new life as a wanted her soak Liz found some sleepwear and crawled into bed feeling lighter than she had since she started running. It was with a light heart that Liz drifted into the first restful sleep she had in weeks.

As for Red, he entered his room in contentment. He could hear the muffled laughter of his children and brother as they argued over who would play first and talked smack to each other. He made his way to the corner table and poured himself a glass of scotch and made for the shower. He finished in the bathroom quickly life on the run and the military before that didn't allow him to waste time on mundane things like long baths. Red dressed in a grey t-shirt and his cotton lounge pants with little devils on it that the twins gave him for Christmas last year. He made his way to the bed and climbed in falling asleep almost immediatly knowing that his children, brother and his Lizzy were all safe for the moment. Finally he could relax if only for a few days.

The next morning Lizzy woke to the sunlight streaming in through her window. She felt refreshed and rejuvenated. She went in the bathroom breifly and grabbed her robe to head downstairs. She was quiet going down the stairs so as not to disturb anyone and followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen where Red sat reading the paper, looking well rested and sipping from a mug that had a picture of a greenish-blue animal wearing a fedora and read Agent P across the bottom. If that wasn't enough to start her giggling the sight of Red's devil pajama pants sent her over the edge into all out laughter.

Red looked at her questionly, "Are you alright, Lizzy?" She couldn't talk due to her laughter so she nodded that she was okay. "May I ask what has you in hysterics this morning?" Liz finally regained her self control, "I'm sorry. I have never really seen you in anything, but a suit and here you are in devil pj's and drinking out of a silly mug." Red chuckled a little nodding his head as if agreeing with her. "Yes the boys bought me these for Christmas and apparently this character on the mug reminded them of me. Something about a secret agent and my affinity for fedoras. As for the devil pants I don't know whether it was a compliment or an insult." Lizzy's admiration for Red grew in that moment. Here was a man who had his world torn apart and was thrown into a much darker one, only to rise within it and still keep a part of his original self whether he saw it or not. Red was a decent man and a loving father.

Red poured Liz some coffee and offered her a cinnamon roll from the oven. They sat there enjoying just staying still for awhile when Denbe emerged from his room on the bottom floor, where he preferred to stay. Red and Liz greeted Dembe and watched as he helped himself to orange juice and cinnamon rolls and sat acroos from them at the small island. "How did the rematch go last night?" Red asked curious as to whether his sons were going to be happy or disgruntled when they awoke. Dembe smiled, "I still hold the title of Call of Duty champion." Red laughed, looking to Liz "That means the boys lost horribly and are not happy. They are terrible losers." Liz didn't miss a beat "Like father, like sons." Red's jaw dropped in shock and Dembe tried to cover his chuckle, but it just came out as a snort.

The twins chose that moment to enter the kitchen and were surprised to see their father looking put out and Liz and their uncle laughing at his expense. "So what did we miss?" Asked Robbie to the room at large. The other two were still chuckling leaving Red to answer his children, "Apparently Elizabeth believes I am a sore loser and that is where you two get it from." Robbie and RJ looked from their dad to each other before simaltaniously saying, "She might be right." This caused Dembe and Liz to go into a fit of laughter again and Red's scowl to deepen. The twins looked at the three older people quizically before deciding breakfast was more important than whatever was wrong with the three at the table.

After breakfast everyone helped with the clean up and went to get dressed. Red surprised Liz with his wardrobe once again when he descended the stairs in dark wash jeans and a loose fitting black t-shirt and hiking boots. The group made their way out the back door and down the huge deck that led to the lake that backed the property. The landscape was gorgeous and Liz felt the company couldn't be better. They spent the day fishing and in Liz's case relearning how to fish. The Reddingtons' turned out to be quite the fishermen as did Dembe, but Liz showed them all up by catching the largest fish. Naturally Robbie and RJ insisted it was beginner's luck and Red tried to agree further cementing the fact that his sons' were sore losers just like him. Red didn't appreciate it when Liz pointed that out.

Red, Liz and Dembe stayed through the weekend. They all took turns swapping stories from their past and enjoying the peace that came with the setting and being surrounded by people that you cared about and in return cared about you, Red announced they would be leaving soon after he recieved a call from Marvin Gerard. Liz wasn't happy about having to leave, none of them were, but they all knew the time would come. They said their good byes, Red taking the time to bear hug each of his boys individually. Liz noticied he whispered something in each of thier ears causing them to tense for a moment and shock to pass over their faces before they nodded ridgidly, but confidently.

Red and Liz once again took their seats in the back of the truck, while Dembe drove. The drive back to the airstrip was in comtemplative silence, everyone occupied in their own thoughts. Once they boarded the jet and were airborne Liz left the couch to sit in the chair across from Red. She smiled as Red looked at her, "I wanted to thank you." A confused look descended Red's face, "For what Lizzy?" She smiled, this man had no clue sometimes, "For everything Red. I don't think I've said thank you for all the things you've done for me. Even before the FBI and blacklisters. You saved me from the fire, tried to protect me from my past and now your trying to protect me from the present." She paused briefly, "but truly I wanted to thank you for this weekend. For trusting me with a secret of yours. Thank you for trusting me enough to introduce me to your family. I know that can't be easy for you."

Red regained control of his shock. He didn't believe he should be thanked seeing as he had been responsible for part of Lizzy's grief over the years. She was watching him and he gave her a slightly, watery smile, "I don't believe I deserve your thanks, but your welcome and as for introducing you to the boys. They weren't joking Lizzy, your family and I have so little of that left. I'll do what I have to in order to protect it." Red said this with such conviction she had no doubt that it was true, if anyhting Raymond "Red" Reddington gave the same loyalty that he seemed to recieve from his most trusted.

They sat in silence for a while after that, only for Lizzy's natural curiousity to bring her to break the silence. "What did you tell Robbie and RJ before we left. They both had that determined look you get when you're about to do something really important and equally dangerous." Red chuckled Lizzy was ever the profiler and a damn good one, "I was giving the boys' their assignments. As much as I wanted them away from this world of mine they refused to leave it. I figured if they wanted in, the least I could do was shield them from the worst of it, but they want a part in taking down the Cabal, I can't bring myself to deny them that." Red looked her in the eye, "You'll see them again soon Lizzy. Unfortuantely, so will the rest of the world and I'm not sure if it's me or the world that will be woefully unprepared to deal with the wrath that will follow my sons."

Red looked out the window as he finished speaking leaving Lizzy to absorb what he was implying. Lizzy wasn't sure how she felt about those two sweet, young men barely out of adolesence joining to fight a clandestine group of ruthless people and aiding known fugitives, but she did know one thing if any two people were equipped for the job it would be the children of Raymond Reddington. "Hey Red," Liz called to get his atrtention "I don't know about you and the world, but with three Reddingtons, the Cabal won't know what hit them." Red laughed with Lizzy. She was right of course, the Cabal had know idea what was coming to them, no idea at all.


	2. A Heist

Disclaimer: I don't own The Blacklist or its characters and I am making no money from this. However, the twins are all mine.

Chapter 2

A Heist

The small single engine plane glided through the night sky over the middle of the Sanjay Ghandi National Park in Mumbai as classic rock streamed from the small iHome stratigically placed in the small cargo area for optimum sound quality. The plane's only occupants peered out their respective windows looking for a hidden runway. "Shouldn't we have seen it by now?" asked the co-pilot. "I told you before, my guy had to move the landing strip due to park maintenance. It should be appearing on your side right about...now." True to word, the four blue lights indicating the landing area came into view. Robbie Reddington angled the plane into position for landing and eased her onto the small runway.

"Smooth landing, bro." RJ complimented his brother "I still can't believe dad is actually letting us in on this plan even if we are just glorified delivery boys." Robbie shrugged his shoulders as he helped to grab their gear from the plane and load it into the waiting SUV. "Yeah, I was surprised too. I guess he finally accepted we weren't going to stay out of his business for long. It's too bad we have to snatch and grab the merchandise, I do so love Mumbai." RJ nodded his head in agreement whilst climbing into the driver's side of the SUV, just as the engine turned over, Sympathy for the Devil, began playing from the burner phone sitting on the dashboard. The brothers looked at the phone before Robbie grabbed it flipping the phone open and answering, "I swear you had us DARPA chipped as infants and you simply refuse to admit it." Raymond 'Red' Reddington's deep chuckle greeted him, "Now Robert no need to get hostile; I just wanted to make sure you landed safely and had all your gear."

Robbie enabled the speaker phone and placed the device on the center console so RJ could hear too. "I'm not being hostile dad it's just this weird sixth sense thing you have; it creeps us both out sometimes." Red laughed out right this time, " Boys I believe you're getting paranoid or at least need to lay off the X-files for awhile." At that they answered in unison, "NEVER!". Reddington laughed again before turning serious, "I know we spoke before, but it is critical that you obtain the package without tipping off Avi, I will most likely have to work with him again and I can't have this traced back to me. Also, this is a stealth mission, do it quietly and under no circumstances be seen."

RJ heavy sighed as he continued to drive towards their target, "Dad I love you, but you are driving me nuts. This isn't our first job, we've been stealing high value items for six years now. We know what we are doing. Get in, get the merch and get out. Thanks for the pep talk, but your hounding us about details is going to throw off our game. We got this!" Robbie starred in open mouth shock at his brother as silence greeted them from the other end of the phone. It was a tense minute before Red spoke, "Sorry. I'm not happy about the two of you joining this fight. Avi has connections to the Cabal, he isn't in it, but he works for people who are. I just want you to be careful. I love you both and call me when you are flying to Raipur, I'll make sure the jet is there to pick you up." Red ended the call leaving his boys to their work.

Robbie shot his brother an annoyed look, but said nothing as they rode further into Mumbai. Robbie knew his dad was not pleased with RJ's outburst, but RJ was right. This was not their first job, it was just the first one that would harm the Cabal and end up putting them on their radar in the future. The twins were aware of the danger and the importance of the mission. With those thoughts on their minds RJ drove the SUV into an alley five miles from their target, where they quickly wiped down the SUV, put on their kevlar vests, checked their weapons and grabbed their gear before disappearing down into the sewers.

The sewer was dark and narrow in width forcing the boys to walk single file with Robbie leading. "Next heist I'm making the plan and it will not involve smelly sewers!" came RJ's aggravated voice. Robbie chuckled and checked his wrist where a small touchscreen computer set on a GPS mode was strapped. "Relax man, it's only another mile underground then we will be back topside and you can stop whining like a school girl." RJ huffed in annoyance, "I am not acting like a school girl, but this mission is all about stealth. Tell me how that works if they can smell us coming from a mile away. I think I'm going to have to get Aunt Kate to give me a Tetnus shot after this." Robbie snorted trying not to laugh out loud, his brother could be so dramatic sometimes. "Quit being a baby, another fifteen minutes at this speed and we will be out; then its your part of the plan."

True to word, fifteen minutes later found the brothers climbing out of another manhole in a dark alley two streets over from their target's location. Their was no more time for playing, their faces set, they implemented RJ's extraction plan. The two quietly made their way to the back of the building across from the warehouse they were planning to infiltrate. Using their years of parkour training and mountain climbing, RJ and Robbie scaled up the back of the building to the roof; the climb wasn't that difficult with the building only being three stories tall. Once on the roof Robbie retrieved his specialized night vision/thermal imaging scope and focused it on their target. As soon as the scope was in position Robbie looked to his wrist where the images picked up from the scope were being displayed.

"Looks like security is on the minimal side tonight. Two guards at the front entrance, two more at the back, three on the second floor backside, one at the front and I'm guessing our guy Avi is the one on the third floor where the target should be in the safe." RJ gazed at the warehouse as his brother called out the potential threats and made his on mental map of the badguys, calculating possible scenarios and solutions. Both boys possessed their father's tactician abilities, yet had their own way of thinking and mapping out the plan. RJ was more mental awareness and Robbie enjoyed the visual aid afforded to him by his use of technology. The fact that they approached the same job in two different view points was often the reason why they were so successful.

After checking their gear once more the two men sprang into action. RJ fired a barbed dart into the roof access housng of the warehouse and secured the other end to the rooftop they were on. Since the warehouse they were infiltrating was lower than the building they were on; the zip line would be a quick and efficient way to get across the street. Robbie pulled on the line once then attached his carabiner and zipped onto the warehouse roof, soon followed by RJ who then hit the button to detach the other end from the previous building leaving no trace. As RJ stowed away the now detached cable, Robbie scanned the building once more to ensure all the guards were in the same position. Robbie gave the signal that all guards remained undisturbed and it was time for phase three.

Robbie checked the roof access door for alarms, while RJ loaded the tranquilizer dart into one of his guns. The door wasn't wired so Robbie made quick work of the lock and the two entered quietly, making their way to Avi's office and the reason for the heist. At the bottom of the roof access stairs was another door, which prompted Robbie to do another thermal scan of the building to ensure no surprises awaited them on the other side. The coast was clear as the two gingerly snuck through the door and proceeded into the hallway. All was dark except the slightly ajar door two rooms down on the left from the roof access stairs. The two crept along the wall until they could safely peek into the lighted room. RJ glanced in the room to see Avi seated at his desk, head down in paper work. He indicated to Robbie he could take the shot.

The dart struck Avi in the right side of his chest causing him to throw himself back clutching at the dart. The chair he was in had wheels, so he rolled backwards and crashed into the filling cabinets behind him. The tranquilizer was strong and fast acting by the time Avi hit the cabinets he was practically comatose, but that didn't stop him from reaching for the gun he had on the desk. Robbie and RJ waited, hands on their on weapons, they didn't want a fire fight, but were prepared to engage if need be. Fortunately, for them just as his hand reached the pistol Avi succumbed to the drug coursing through his system and slumped over unconscious.

The boys let out a sigh of relief and Robbie scanned the building again, noting that all guards remained at their post. Robbie entered the office first making a beeline for the safe, while RJ secured Avi just to be on the safe side. He then began rumaging around the desk for anything of importance. Before RJ could flip through more than half the papers on Avi's desk Robbie had cracked the safe. "We are in and it looks like we can one stop shop" said Robbie as he pulled a briefcase from the safe and opened it to check that it was indeed the package they came to retrieve. Nodding to his brother, Robbie closed the case and ensconced it safely within his gear bag and then began emptying the rest of the safe's contents into RJ's bag. Once the safe was empty and with a final check to ensure Avi was still off in dreamland, the brothers exited the office.

The two crept quietly to the stairs that would lead them to the roof. Robbie made sure to run another scan before the two exited the stairwell back onto the roof and then repelled down the side of the building into, yet another dark alley. RJ retrieved the lines they used to repel just as he did with the zipline. The only evidence that the two had been in the building would be and empty safe and a currently unconsious smuggler, who never saw the men that robbed him. As soon as RJ stowed their gear, the brothers set off on foot into the busier sections of Mumbai where another SUV was in place for them. The two quickly threw their bags in the SUV and were airborne to Raipur an hour after their heist.

The two made it to Raipur without incident. They wiped down and locked up Robbie's plane before they boarded their father's jet, with Edward at the controls. No sooner had the plane leveled from take off did the burner begin vibrating in Robbie's pocket. "I'm telling you, bro. We are chipped. That's the only explanation I can see." RJ looked at his brother, "I'm beginning to think your right." Robbie pulled the phone out and flipped it open being sure to enable speaker phone. Before he could answer RJ beat him to it, "City Morgue. You kill'em we chill'em. How may I direct your call?" There was silence for a second before Liz's laughter greeted them, "Really guys, that's how you answer your phone?" The twins smiled and greeted together, "LIZ!" She chuckled again. "What are you doing with the old man' s phone?" asked RJ. "First off son, I don't appreciate being called old and second Lizzie wanted to hear from the two of you so I let her call." Robbie was laughing his head off at his brother's expense.

"Sorry Dad, didn't mean it like that; it was more of an affectionate type phrasing, you know." RJ attempted to explain. "You're not helping your case RJ," came Liz's voice, "He is getting that tick in his jaw I don't think he's happy with you at the moment." RJ gulped. He was in trouble, then again when was he not. At that moment Robbie decided to save him, "So to what do we owe the pleasure of this phone call?" Deciding to let one son rescue the other, Red answered, "I just recieved a call from a very apologetic and distraught Avi. It seems the safe he had been housing merchindise in was looted by an unknown assaliant, or multiple assaliants, and apparently he never saw who knocked him out." Robbie and RJ smirked to each other, they could here the pleased note in their father's voice. "You did a good job boys."

The twins were beaming, they couldn't help it. All any children want is approval from their parents and their family, the Reddington twins were no different. Unless you noted that they were being praised for breaking the law. "Thanks Dad." the two replied. "What's the next step in the plan?" asked Robbie. Sensing that the emotional part of the conversation was over Red answered, "The two of you are to leave the package with Edward, he will see it gets to me. Then I want you to take the rest of the items you took and sell them off as you would normally do. I hired you for this job, so consider whatever profit you make from the sale of the items a bonus." The twins shared anoither smirk, "What are you two going to be doing?" RJ questioned. "Lizzie and I are currently traveling through West Virginia. We managed to obtain Hassaan and are preparing for the next phase of the plan. We'll be in touch." The boys knew it was time to hang up, "Be safe" they said. "You too." was the united answer they recieved.

The two brothers sat back in their chairs, both lightly dosing. They both knew this was only the beginning , that despite the fact that Liz's name would be cleared soon,the fight with the Cabal was only just starting. The most they could hope for was that their was no hiccup in their father's plan. The two were acutely aware that not everything went according to plan, but they would be ready no matter what happened in the future. Family was everything to them and they would do whatever they had to in order to keep their family safe.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read my first chapter. I'm very much appreciative towards you. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.


	3. Celebration Dinner

Disclaimer: Once again I do not own The Blacklist or any of its characters. I'm simply borrowing them for my own amusement.

CH.3

The sights of Washington D.C. were a blur as number four on the FBI's most wanted list and the newly exonerated number five sat in the backseat of the Mercedes. Elizabeth Keen was in a state of shock. She could not believe that her life on the run had officially come to a close and she was able to walk away with no more than a slap on the wrist. She would no longer be an FBI agent, and as Red had so eloquently put it, had offially crossed the line into his world when she shot the Attorney General. The brighter side was that unlike Red she was free to do as she pleased, no more hiding.

The duo's quiet reverie was interrupted as Dembe pulled the car into the drive of yet another of Red's immaculate and expensive safe houses. When Red had come to pick her up from the court house he offered her the use of a safe house until she figured out where she would like to live. He even offered to purchase any place of her choosing, but as he expected his Lizzy refused the offer, saying she would make her own way. Her independent streak was something Red would always equally like and dislike about Liz's personality. It was one of the reasons the two usually fought and Red was still learning what battles to choose when it came to Elizabeth Keen.

Red had exited the car as soon as Dembe put the vehicle in park. He went around to get Liz's door and proceded to escort her to the front door of the house. Much to her surprise the door flung open just as they reached the door mat, finding herself and Red quickly engulfed in a massive bear hug, whilst simultaneously being reprimanded. "I can't believe you got yourself kidnapped by the wanna be Sons of Anarchy!" RJ exclaimed, while his brother remarked, "A phone call. One freaking phone call! I understand you got arrested Liz, but what the hell Dad you couldn't call?" Liz was still engulfed in a Reddington dominated hug as she laughed at the boys, who tended to react much like their father, when confronted with situations that had gone beyond their control and abilty to help. They turned into mother hens and scolded until they were out of breathe.

Dembe had managed to shuffle the group still engaged in a bear hug over the threshold and into the foyer of the house shutting the door behind him. Red managed to extract himself, then Lizzy from the cluthches of his overprotective children, so he might address them properly. "Boys! I know you have questions, but would you kindly allow Lizzy and myself to at least make it to the kitchen? It's been a long day and we could both use some food and a celebratory drink." The twins took the hint and backed off, Robbie turning to lead the group towards the kitchen and the smell of something delicious, while RJ threw an arm around his Dad and Liz walking between the two and making Lizzy laugh as he continied to needle his father about highway robbers and motorcycle gangs.

The group entered the kitchen to find Mr. Kaplan at the stove stirring a pot that was dispensing a wonderful aroma and slapping Robbie's hand with a spatula as he tried to sample something out of the unattended pot. "Ouch! Come on Aunt Kate you said I could eat when they got here and here they are." Robbie said whilst gesturing towards Liz and his father. "If you recall Robert, I said we would all eat when they arrived. Now since you couldn't wait you get to set the table." Robbie's frown deepened as he turned to grab the plates and cutlery from the cabinets. RJ who had witnessed the scene along with Liz and his Dad was grinning from ear to ear as his brother was reprimanded, "Wipe that grin off your face Junior and go help your brother." RJ's grin quickly became a frown as he looked at the back of his Aunt Kate's head. He had known her all his life and it still baffled him as to how she always knew what he was up to. With a sigh he dropped his arms and went in the direction of the dining room to assist his brother.

After RJ's exit Mr. Kaplan turned to the newly arrived guess. She walked up to Red and kissed his cheek before turning to Liz, "I'm glad everything worked out in your favor dearie. Not that I doubted for a second." She then walked to Dembe to kiss his cheek in greeting. "The food is ready if you two want to head to the table. Dembe and I will start to bring out the food. Red chuckled, "Nonsense Kate you cooked, come sit and have some wine. I'll send the boys in here to help. Dembe you come sit too. Robbie and RJ can handle a few dishes."

The group sat together after RJ brought out the last dish. The meal before them was essentially a holiday feast. A whole turkey cooked to perfection, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans and dinner rolls. Red gave his compliments to the chefs, which surprised Liz to find out the twins were quite efficient in the kitchen. As with their first meal together, even with the addition of Mr. Kaplan, Lizzy couldn't stop laughing as the conversation flowed freely and she learned even more about the Reddingtons and the two adopted members of the family.

One story in particular showed Liz that Kate Kaplan had been with Red for quite sometime. "Lizzy it was one of the craziest weeks of my life." said Red "I'm standing in the middle of the baby aisle of some store in Ireland, an infant in each arm starring at the wall of diapers in front of me, thinking when did there get to be so many choices. Low and behold Kate manages to find me, after I had been trying to get in touch with her all week. I about broke down in tears when I laid eyes on her. And what does she do? Walks up to me, kisses my cheek, takes one of the boys, and proceeds to fill the little cart she brought with all the essential baby items." Red sighed, "If I'm honest, I don't know what I would have done without Kate. She helped me so much when the boys were first born." Red smiled gratefully at Mr. Kaplan and Liz knew that she was proud to be considered part of the family.

As dinner came to an end and everyone assisted in the clean up, Liz couldn't stop her yawns. Like the cabin in Washington, Red led her to the room she would be utilizing and left her to get ready for bed with the request that she join him in the living room after her shower. Red seemed both reluctant and excited at the prospect of her joining him after her bath. This of course piqued the interest of her profiler side, so she quickly finished her nightly routine and made her way to the living room in her oversized tee and plaid flannel pants.

The sight that greeted Liz made her smile. In the middle of the room centered in front the television and backed by the large sectional couch was a massive pallet of pillows and blankets. Robbie and RJ were already laid out on the floor as they queued Avengers Age of Ultron in the blu-ray player. Liz jumped as Red's voice rumbled from next to her, "Thought you might like to enjoy movie night with us, we haven't had one in a while." Liz smiled at Red then laughed as she noticed his devil pj's once again. Red shook his head, he really didn't get her fascination with his pajamas. He then entered the room playfully kicking both of his sons as he made his way to the couch, claiming he was too old to be sleeping on the floor. The boys' laughed before turning to Liz and patting the center of the pallet, indicating the spot was reserved for her.

Liz made herself comfortable after having a good laugh at the sleep attire of the Reddington twins. Robbie was sporting Ninja Turtle pants with a Batman tee, while RJ wore Walking Dead pants and an Iron Man tee. If you simply met the two like this you would never believe they were the sons of a notorious criminal and criminals themselves. Instead she knew the truth; the three men she was sharing sleeping space with were killers and thieves. But in hindsight so was she. In that moment, curled between a snoring RJ and a sparwled out Robbie, with Red watching over the three of them, she could not have felt more safe. She wasn't sure what the future held, but she was confident that the one thing she could count on and to always have her back, was the Reddington family.

A/N: Apologies for the wait. Also, sorry if this chapter is kind of bland, but I assure you the next one will see Robbie and RJ back in action. Thanks for reading and double thanks to those who left reviews!


	4. The Attack

Disclaimer: I do not own The Blacklist, I'm just borrowing the characters and adding a few of my own.

Red sat at the small desk in the living room of his latest safe house, while his twin sons occupied themselves with the Xbox One. He had just turned the page of the Cabal file he was reviewing when his burner phone began ringing. Not recognizing the number, he answered with a cautious, "Hello." A woman's voice came across the speaker, "Yes, is this Mr. Kershaw?" Red was immediately on edge, he only used that alias a few times, most of them involving Elizabeth. "Yes. I'm Mr. Kershaw." The woman let out a sigh, happy she could reach him, "I'm Nurse Nunez at Providence Hospital. I'm calling on behalf of Elizabeth Keen." Red's face turned white as a sheet, which alerted Dembe who had walked into the room to join the boys.

Dembe watched as Red talked in hushed tones, to avoid alerting his sons who were currently oblivious to their father's distress. He ended the call and stood signaling Dembe to follow him out of the room. Once clear of the occupied living room Red spoke, "I need you to bring the car around Dembe. Elizabeth was attacked earlier tonight, she's currently at Providence Hospital." Dembe received the news as he did everything, with a stoic interest. He nodded to his brother and squeezed his shoulder in comfort saying, "She will be fine Raymond." Then he was out the door to bring the car.

Once Dembe made his exit Red made his way back to the living room, to grab his suit jacket and hat. He entered the room and was met by two sets of curious eyes that were exact duplicates of his own. "What's up Dad?" RJ asked always straight and to the point. Robbie sat back patiently waiting for his father's answer knowing it was not going to be good news. Red took a deep breath, "Elizabeth was attacked earlier this evening. I'm on my way to see her and I don't know the extent of her injuries. I just know that she is alive and should make a full recovery." There was a split second of silence before a unison reply of, "We're coming with you!" and a flurry of movement as his sons grabbed their respective jackets and hats. For his part, Red didn't even try to dissuade them, he simply turned on his heel and headed for the door.

The ride to the hospital was made in silence, the men occupying the vehicle too caught up in thought to converse with each other. The group was quite the sight as they entered the hospital's emergency room and walked right up to the check-in desk. When the poor nurse looked up she was greeted by the intimidating quartet. The man, who was obviously in charge of the group, wore a three-piece suit and a fedora. He was flanked by two younger men who were obviously brothers. One wore a black leather jacket and flat cap, the other a red North Face jacket and backwards flat bill. The rear of the group was brought up by a large African American man wearing modest jeans, shirt and jacket.

Red smiled at the nurse, who was immediately wary of the group before her, "Hello I was notified about Elizabeth Keen. My name is Bill Kershaw." The nurse took another quick glance at the group before verifying the information with her computer records. "Yes Mr. Kershaw, she was brought in a few hours ago, she's in room 212. If you take the elevators behind you to the second floor, make a right when you exit; the room will be on the left." Red thanked the woman and headed for the elevators followed by his family. The quartet found the room easy enough, Dembe decided to wait outside the door to keep an eye on things.

Red entered the room first, still flanked by his sons. Inside they found Elizabeth dozing and Nurse Nunez checking her vitals. Red introduced himself and was informed by the nurse that they had arrived just in time to wake Liz. Due to the concussion, she had to be woken every hour. The men took a step back and allowed the nurse to wake Liz, so they wouldn't overwhelm her. Once the nurse was satisfied Elizabeth was coherent she left the group to themselves. Elizabeth took in the sight of the three Reddington men, "What is it with you guys and hats?"

All three wore the exact same exasperated face as Liz looked on. Red was the first to speak, "We ignore speed limits to see about your wellbeing and you insult our headwear." Lizzy smiled at him, " I'm fine Reddington, nothing to be concerned about. I've broken ribs before." Liz knew Red wouldn't let this stand, what she didn't expect was for the twins to become upset. "Broken ribs before?" came Robbie's voice "This isn't I fell down some stairs or tackled a suspect Liz. You were attacked!" RJ threw in his opinion too, "Yeah Liz some jackass beat you and left you for DEAD! Somebody has to pay." Both Robbie and RJ were seething as they looked at Liz, neither were as skilled in concealing their emotions, like their father.

"Boys!" came Red's voice hoping the endearment would help reign them back in, "Yes. Lizzy is trying to gloss over her injuries, but we know better and there is no need to get all riled up." The boys looked contrite for their outbursts, but through a wordless conversation decided they would find who did this. Until then, they would do their best to cheer Liz up. Like flipping a switch, the boys went from angry to entertainment mode.

The three Reddingtons and Dembe talked with Liz until visiting hours were over. Red left Liz with the promise to pick her up from the hospital the following day. No sooner the group was safely in the confines of the Mercedes Red began speaking, "Boys, I want you to find the person or persons who did this and I want him alive." RJ and Robbie smiled deviously and responded in unison "Consider it done."

The group arrived back at the safe house only to split up; the twins heading to the grocery store where Liz was attacked. While his sons were hunting, Reddington arranged to have better security at Lizzy's apartment and located an untraceable gun for her to carry. Red would not allow her to be left defenseless again, convicted felon or not.

Once the boys made it to the scene of the attack, RJ distracted the store manager, while Robbie snuck into the office and retrieved the security camera footage that would hopefully show Liz's attacker. After RJ extracted himself from the store managers' clutches he joined his brother in the car. "Bro, I swear that chick wouldn't leave me alone." Robbie laughed at his brother, the guy was a magnet for middle aged divorcees. "At least it wasn't Madeline Pratt trying to lure you in again." RJ grimaced, "NO! Do not bring that up EVER! I'm still scarred." Robbie couldn't help annoying his brother about Pratt's fondness for him. Or the fact, she didn't even realize, RJ was the son of the man she loved to hate. As Robbie laughed at his brother's mortified face his computer signaled a match was found.

"Okay" Robbie stated while plucking keys on his laptop, "I ran our guy's face through Aunt Kate's database and we got a match." Robbie turned the computer so RJ could see the file. "Well Bro, looks like our guy lives two blocks from here. Let's go introduce ourselves." RJ smiled at his own joke as he threw the car in gear and peeled out of the parking lot.

The twins watched the house of the man who attacked Liz until midnight. According to the information they dug up, he was a 37-year-old, plant worker with an honorable discharge from the Army. Robbie read the information out loud to his brother who occupied the driver seat of the unassuming sedan. "Sounds like he would be a nice guy. Too bad he likes to beat unarmed women." Robbie nodded in agreement and checked his watch, that read 12:15am. "It's time to go introduce ourselves brother." The twins smiled with malice as they quickly made their way to the side door of the man's house and let themselves in.

The twin's crept silently towards the bedroom of the man who hurt Liz. Once they reached the door Robbie used his trusty thermal scanner to make sure the man was the only one in the room. With a nod to his brother, the boys entered the room and secured the man's hands and feet. The man began to yell, but was rendered unconscious by RJ's fist hitting him square in the jaw. The brothers then made a hasty exit with their cargo.

The following morning Red entered the warehouse the boys chose to bring Liz's attacker to and found the man beaten, but alive. Red smiled he didn't really expect his children to allow the man who hurt a member of the family to get away unscathed; not that it mattered since Red had no intention of letting the man leave with his life.

A/N: It's been quite some time since I've updated this story, but I intend to finish this story at some point. If you take the time to read this story I appreciate it. Special thanks to anyone who favorites or leaves a review.

Until Next Time, folks!


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